Page 9 of The Executive Assistant

Stacy blinked in surprise. “Oh, I told you a few days ago that I would turn it in next Monday.”

I furrowed my brow, my mind working to remember this conversation that I seemed to have forgotten. “Not this Friday?”

Stacy nodded, her body tensing like she was bracingherself for an explosion. “I needed an exception this time because I have a doctor’s appointment.”

That rang a bell. Why was I forgetting these things? Probably because I was distracted.

“I’ll need it by end of day Monday,” I said before walking past her, making a beeline for my office before something else drove me crazy.

I shut my door behind me and sighed deeply, relieved to be away from everyone else. After gathering myself, I sat down at my desk and logged onto my computer, my fingers flying over the keys. I pulled up my email, my latest documents, my calendar, and anything else that shifted my focus to work and work only.

I wouldn’t think about the dream. I wouldn’t think about last night’s disastrous date. I wouldn’t think about the conversation I had with Cameron and his warm hand on my arm.

Eventually, all the overwhelming noise quieted down, and I lost myself in what I knew best. There was nothing more comforting than getting the job done and knowing that all this hard work was going to pay off.

Suddenly, Cameron slipped into my office, shattering my concentration. He was wearing his usual suit and tie, and looked good, the way he always did.

I tore my eyes away from him, focusing on the email I was drafting. “Yes?”

Cameron approached my desk. “You’re scaringeveryone.”

“Telling people to do their jobs and stick to their deadlines is me scaring people?” I asked without looking away from my screen.

Cameron rested his palms on my desk and leaned forward, making me look at him. His presence easily filled the room, dominating the space with his height and breadth. He gave me a pointed look like he could see past my cold words.

It drove me crazy. He was myassistant. The employee who kept me up to date on things I needed to do and grabbed me coffee when my momentum was running out. He wasn’t supposed to look at me like…like he could see past my defenses. Like he wasconcernedabout me.

“Did something happen last night after we spoke? Did that man upset you?” he asked.

My brows jumped up. “No, last night was… fine. Why are you bringing it up?”

“You didn’t leave with him.”

“Oh, so you were watching me?” I snapped. Despite my tone, the thought of him keeping an eye on my last night sent a thrill through me. “Shouldn’t you have been paying attention to your own date?”

“Did you see I was with someone?”

“Of course, I did,” I said. “It’s not like the restaurant was very large.”

“Her name is —”

“I don’t care,” I interrupted.

That hung in the air, tense silence stretching out. I fought the urge to cringe. I shouldn’t have been so rude, but I would have rather stick my hand in a beehive than listen to Cameron tell me all about his perfect girlfriend.

“I’m not here to antagonise you, Alison,” he said eventually. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed upset.”

“I’m not upset,” I said, then sighed. “I’m just stressed about work.”

He nodded with understanding. “Is there anything I can do to help you relax?”

The memory of my heated dream immediately filled my head, reminding me of how good he looked between my legs. Heat formed low in my stomach.

“W-what?” I asked, my voice coming out unsteady as my heart skipped.

Cameron smiled, and I half expected dirty words to spill from his mouth like they did in my dream. “I could book you a spa appointment. That’s one of your favorite ways to wind down, isn’t it?”

Of course. This wasn’t my dream, and thank god for that.

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